Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Hopefully I'll have some time to give to my colleague, Dave Van Kesteren.
Mr. Gallinger, thank you very much for being here—most interesting.
I had the opportunity to be at your association conference last February or March in Toronto at the Convention Centre. I must say—if there's any indication to me of the value of Canadian investment by the mining companies in other countries, it was the incredible number of countries that had booths there, trying to woo or entice Canadian mining companies to come and look at their countries as opportunities.
I think the reverse is actually the truth: Canada is doing such a good job that we are making some really good impressions on these countries, and governments are looking to have us there.
I want to make one quick comment about an observation. When I was in Bangladesh, I happened to see some of the constructors who were there, and I know that there's a long way to go in health and safety. I'm watching these construction companies put up bamboo scaffolding and the guys are up there, three and four stories, and they're wearing flip-flops. There are some real challenges in the world we are going to have to overcome.
I had the opportunity, a year and a half ago, to be in Burkina Faso and visit the Essakane mine, which is in the very northeast corner of Burkina Faso, for those of you who are not familiar with the geography. There are tremendous amounts of conflict going on in that area—political conflict that's happening. The Iamgold mine that has gone into Essakane is of particularly good repute in Burkina Faso. In my observation, what they have done for the community is to build foundations for their homes, so that the people actually have more time for other productive causes. In Essakane, Iamgold has built a school. They've built a hospital. Most importantly, they've put in a job skills training centre.
I wonder if you can speak to what's happening in communities around there. First of all, when the time is freed up for more productive pursuits than taking care of their houses all the time, but also with these job skills that are being given to the indigenous people, what's happening with that as far as private sector enhancement?